The primary difficulty I see with the CPA penetrating the film production market is knowing what questions to ask. The CPA, generally thought of as a consultant in the usual business world, is often tongue-tied when it comes to discussing the film and television business. Rest assured , there are several interesting ways that the CPA can assist Film and Television Producers.

MOST CPA’S ARE INTERESTED IN THE FILM BUSINESS

When I speak with CPA’s about the film industry I find a lot of interest in the field. Film and Television, as a business, promises something different and unique from the usual businesses they deal with. Also, it helps that the Film & Television Industry has excellent and consistent revenue streams.

SOME OF THE USUAL QUESTIONS CPA’s ASK:

What sort of accounting services does the Film Industry require from a CPA?

What are the industry specific practices, reports and terminology?

I hear about the Film Tax Incentives in some States. How does that open the door to new business for my practice?

What software is used during a film or television production?

Once the project is filmed what services would be required from a CPA in “Post”?

Can the CPA help with arranging financing?

If you do some research, I think you’ll find that there is very little, if any, information available online – and most of what you’ll find is authored by me.

WHAT PRODUCERS EXPECT FROM A CPA

Producers and Studio Execs have high expectations of anyone they contract with, especially a CPA who charges out at an hourly rate. They will expect the CPA to be familiar with their everyday terminology and to contribute to solutions. Just a few terms considered common are:

Inventory (the current cost of developing and producing “product”),

Fringes (government and union benefits),

Back-End (final equity available),

IATSE Turnaround (penalties assessed by crew when not enough given enough overnight rest),

SAG residuals,

etc

If you are interested in expanding in some way into the Film Industry there are a couple of ways you can learn more about it.

However, getting to the workshop location, and breaking away from the office, isn’t always possible – for you or for me. At the end of each online course qualifying for CPE I ask the student if the “stated objectives of the course” were met. There has never been a “No” yet…. that’s 100% of the time every student has said that the stated objectives were met. For more detailed information about the online courses see http://www.filmaccounting.com/filmaccounting-cpe.htm

“The U.S. media and entertainment (M&E) industry is comprised of businesses that produce and distribute motion pictures, television programs and commercials along with streaming content, music and audio recordings, broadcast, radio, book publishing, and video games. The U.S. M&E market … is expected to reach $771 billion by 2019, up from $632 billion in 2015, according to the 2014 – 2019 Entertainment & Media Outlook by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC).”

WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR YOU?

That should be good news for anyone working on the periphery of the film and TV industry, but it should also be a wake-up call for CPA’s looking to expand their practice. Regardless if you’re interested in Film Production Accounting, or in working as a Line Producer, you’re probably wondering how you would fit into the M&E Industry. If I were you here are some of the immediate questions I would ask:

What does the Film Accountant do that supports and is parallel with what a Producer needs to know?

What qualifications does a person need to start working in film accounting? (Answer: surprisingly little)

What are the industry specific accounting practices, reports and terminology that the film accountant prepares and the Producer must be able to supervise?

How can an understanding of film accounting help me generate new business from Film Tax Incentives, and help the Producer access funding?

How would an understanding of film and television production open the door to new business for my CPA practice?

What level of billing or wages are usual for the film industry?

What accounting, budgeting and scheduling software is used during a film or television production, how can I get familiar with it?

How do I find contacts in the film industry?

Do some research. I think you’ll find that there is very little, if any, information available online – and most of what you’ll find is authored by me.

LEARN THROUGH WEEKEND WORKSHOPS – 14 HRS of CPE

Your questions will be answered in a weekend workshop, Film Accounting 101. I have another one coming up on May 6th and 7th in Chicago, IL. Learn by actually doing in a controlled environment. I keep the workshops less than 20 people so that we can have lots of one-on-one time.

Film Accounting is somewhat of a mystery to outside accountants. There ARE film industry specific practices that separate film accounting from other industries; however, anyone can learn the three key areas rather quickly, and have a lot of fun at the same time.

There are three basic areas to address, preferably in a hands-on workshop:

1.THE FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING CONTROL POINTS

6 Basic Functions

There are key accounting control points that are standard throughout any film or television production. I have found a workshop environment to be the best way to learn the workflow and processes, pointing out the control points as we go along. There are typical forms, templates and rules followed in film production accounting. You will be able to take home standard templates and forms used throughout the industry every day. Also, flow charts help as a later reference when you start applying what you’ve learned.

2.THE FILM BUDGET AND THE “COST REPORT”

The Film Budget and the Cost Report issued during any film or television production are

the career maker/breakers for any film accountant or producer. You should have an understanding of how to present, read and manipulate both the Film Budget and the Cost Report, something so important to their career as a producer. (The “Cost Report” is the vernacular for Financial Statements in film production. It is confidential at all levels. This workshop may be the only place you’ll be able to learn how to produce it).

3.CASHFLOW REPORTS AND FILM TAX CREDIT ESTIMATION

An emerging producer, or a film accountant, who can prepare a weekly cash-flow schedule from the budget, as well as a reliable estimate of the tax credits expected, is far in advance of other emerging producers in the same pool. A first step is having typical templates commonly used in the industry to create the cashflow schedules and the tax credit estimates.

REAL SITUATIONS

Within these three areas I convey as many real situations as I can, throwing in examples of fraud and how to control it, how the industry is different/similar to other industries, as well as my real experiences with celebrities like Ron Howard, George Clooney, Steve Martin, etc. There are other areas that I get into given time, including how to find work in the film production industry, both as film accountants, and as a services the CPA can perform in the industry.

FILM ACCOUNTING WORKSHOP 101

My next Film Accounting 101 workshop is coming up in Chicago on Oct 22nd and 23rd. Step 3 above is not gone through in detail, but the templates are provided. The curriculum is more designed for those who want to actually work as film accountants. However, the testimonial below from a producer who recently attended reminded me that it is still what many producers want to know about film accounting:

“John Gaskin has an amazing wealth of knowledge that crosses over into various film departments. In his Film Accounting workshop, he outlines the big picture of film financing and production, and then hones in on the detailed accounting procedures. As a producer, the course has given me the confidence to manage larger budgets and communicate with production accountants more thoroughly on different points of financial control. In addition to attending his course, I also read his book “Walk the Talk”, which I’ve recommended to other industry professionals many times. With both formats John breaks down a breadth of complex information in a manner that is clear and digestible.” SR

The purpose of this article is to point the CPA towards the film, television and commercial production industry. Is it worth learning more about this intriguing industry? Are there opportunities for CPA’s? Read on and you’ll discover for yourself if it’s worthwhile pursuing this industry. From that point you can start to learn more about the specific practices and terminology of Film Accounting.

MEDIA PRODUCTION – DETERMINING THE VALUE OF THE GDP IN AMERICA

For starters, is it worth looking at “Media Production”? From a total dollar value of Gross Domestic Product, I’d have to answer a resounding, Yes! Back in Dec of 2013 the Bureau of Economic Analysis published the first ever analysis of the value of Arts and Culture. They reckoned that Arts and Culture accounted for $504Billion, or 3.2%, of the Gross Domestic Product in 2011. That 3.2% encompasses everything from advertising to arts education to cable distribution and movie production. To give you some idea of how the 3.2% compares to other industries, the Motion Picture Association of America stated that all of Travel and Tourism at that time accounted for 2.8% of the GDP.

I sifted through the published numbers and came up with an approximate value of $273Billion due to various media “production”: cable, network, feature and advertising/commercial production. See my notations on the table below:

BEA-13-58 Media Production

MEDIA PRODUCTION – PER BEA ARTS/CULTURE CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN 2013

On February 6, 2016 the Bureau of Economic Analysis published statistics for 2013 in their document #BEA 16-07. Here is a quote from the bottom of the second page of that report: “… total inflation-adjusted spending on all arts and cultural commodities reached $1.1 trillion in 2013. That figure was up 2.7 percent from the year before.”

Here’s another shocker for you. It’s a quote from the top of page 4 of the same report: “Employment for all arts and cultural industries totaled 4.74 million in 2013.”

What is the the cycle of the film industry? How does it go from point A to point B? What really is a film producer and how does he/she need help from CPA’s? What are the common accounting practices and terminology used in film and television production?

The “Overview” course is a 2 hour self-study course which has been very well received, as has been the other courses for those wanting to dig deeper into the nitty gritty (Basic, Intermediate and Advanced).

Watch the video above to see how the course works and it’s content.

VALIDATED MATERIAL AND DELIVERY BY TESTIMONIAL AND CERTIFICATION

The courses have been validated by 4 years of workshops, CPE Sponsor licensing, and numerous testimonials. For more info SEE THIS LINK.

Some Testimonials:

“We have not worked much in the film industry or film tax credits so thought it would be prudent to get agood foundation. Quite frankly, Idid not realize how important it was until I took the first of John’s (self-study) courses. We have awonderful audit department and plan to look into film auditing to add to our services. Iam intrigued and enjoy the nuances of film accounting.” E.E.

“The film cycle was especially helpful –it IS unique to the industry.” T.S.

“The course is agreat presentation for an overview.” Z.K.

“I felt the objectives of the class provided good insight into the state film tax incentives and the requirements varying by state, and what the qualifying expenses incurred were.” J.B.

Cheers,

John

ABOUT JOHN

The courses are designed and delivered by a film production veteran, John Gaskin, with experience on over 50 film and television productions in 6 different countries over the past 30+ years, as well as 6 years experience as an instructor in film accounting & auditing, and managing film budgets. John Gaskin has worked with such greats as Ron Howard (twice), David Valdes (Open Range, Green Mile, Unforgiven), George Clooney (Confessions of A Dangerous Mind) and Gulliermo del Torro (Mama).

For more information, 3 minute videos, course samples, etc. SEE THIS LINK.

Since the inception of the film tax credit in Louisiana there have been about a baker’s dozen fraud charges against local film producers. The newspapers love to rage about the illegal goings-on, of how many years the perpetrators can get in jail and of the madness of Louisiana politics. However, nobody thanks the poor auditor who discovered and ultimately exposed the fraud.

TWO WAYS SUGGESTED TO CURB FRAUD

In an article dated April 6, 2015, the Secretary of the Louisiana Economic Development, Stephen Moret, suggested there were two ways that the state could curb fraud and abuse: regulate accountants who audit the film industry and eliminate related-party payments.

DON’T REGULATE, EDUCATE

I would suggest replacing the word “regulate” with “educate”. Get those CPA’s educated before they even get a chance to audit – that’s what California has done successfully for some time now. It is safe to say that Louisiana already has the most comprehensive set of film audit guidelines for Related Party Transactions in America. However, there seems to be a disconnection between the written rules and the way they’re applied in the Film Industry. Click here to download the 8 page guidelines from the LED web site. See pages 3, 4 and 5.

FILM INDUSTRY PRACTICES

The second suggestion of eliminating related party transactions is like telling Americans not to drive cars because the pollution is killing the planet – it’s true, but just not workable. Simply bring the auditor to an understanding of the internal forms, practices and control points accepted as standard in the industry BEFORE the audit.

THANKS TO THE FORGOTTEN HEROES

So let’s remind ourselves who brought the fraudulent activity to light – the film state tax credit auditor. Okay, sometimes it was found a little late, but found it was … and, here’s a big THANK YOU.

I sincerely hope that you got paid in full before the Producer’s accounts were seized!

There are several interesting ways that a CPA can service the Film Industry … IF you can get past the general distrust that the Film Industry has of outsiders.

RESEARCH WHAT INTERESTS YOU ABOUT THE FILM INDUSTRY

Do some research. What sort of accounting services does the Film Industry require from a CPA? What are the industry specific practices, reports and terminology? I hear about the Film Tax Incentives in some States. How does that open the door to new business for my practice? What software is used during a film or television production? I think you’ll find that there is very little, if any, information available online – and most of what you’ll find is authored by me.

WHAT PRODUCERS EXPECT FROM A CPA

Producers and Studio Execs have high expectations of anyone they contract with, especially a CPA who charges out at an hourly rate. They will expect the CPA to be familiar with their everyday terminology and to contribute to solutions. Just a few terms considered common are:

Inventory (the current cost of developing and producing “product”),

Fringes (government and union benefits),

Back-End (final equity available),

IATSE Turnaround (penalties assessed by crew when not enough given enough overnight rest),

SAG residuals,

etc

If you are interested in servicing the Film Industry there are a couple of ways you can learn more.

LEARN THROUGH WEEKEND WORKSHOPS – 23 HRS of CPE

Workshops are always the most fun way to learn. I have another one coming up on May 2nd and 3rd in Tampa Bay, Florida.

However, getting to the workshop location, and breaking away from the office, aren’t always possible – for you or for me. At the end of each online course qualifying for CPE I ask the student if the “stated objectives of the course” were met. There has never been a “No” yet…. that’s 100% of the time every student has said that the stated objectives were met.

If you would like to see the additional comments made by students who have completed the courses of the courses I have listed them below, along with links to short YouTube videos describing each of the course’s content.

Cheers / John

Several students also had other good things to say.

A SAMPLE OF ADDITIONAL COMMENTS MADE BY STUDENTS

Course #1. Film Accounting and Auditing – An Overview

“Yes. Great introduction of the role the production accountant will play within the overall film production life-cycle.”

“Yes – it was pretty much an overview. I feel I have a much better understanding of film accounting now.”

My congrats to the California Film Commission for publishing the “Expenditure Tracking Tips”. It not only provides film accountants with practical tips to track “Qualified Expenses”, it also provides a framework of understanding for external auditors who have never been exposed to film and television production.

For film accountants who have completed film and TV tax credited productions in other States (and Provinces), the various rules and processes of capturing and reporting the “Qualified Costs” start to meld together, but never arrive at a universal standard. So, it’s really good to see a single document which “nails” the entire accounting process in a clear voice. Even though this was written by the State of California, it applies universally throughout the United States and Canada.

Production Assets (Page 6): This is the clearest procedure that I have seen on how to define, and to account for, “Assets” when applying for film tax incentives. Most of the other States don’t help you out with such a clear direction.

Related Party Transactions (Page 5): When comparing Audit Instructions from Louisiana, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, New York and Connecticut, this is the only place I have found which tells you how to address rentals from a crew member. Is a box rental from a crew member considered a Related Party Transaction?

Materials for Verification of Expenditures (Page 7 and 8): Pages 7 and 8 list 20 different types of materials which should be provided to the External Auditor. On that list are several film and television industry unique terms and reports that the External Auditor, or emerging Film Accountant, must gain familiarity with.

My next workshop on Film Accounting 101, is in Atlanta in January. In the workshop we drill the practical basics of a film accountant with a 2 day workshop and 6 live webinars of 1 and 1/2 hours each. To learn more visit http://www.filmaccounting.com .

A few years ago the Connecticut Film Tax Credit Administrator, Ed Ruggiero, asked me to deliver a workshop to CPA’s who were interested in performing audits of film productions for the CT State Tax Credit. I did just that, successfully helping several local CPA’s understand the Film Industry and Film Accounting much better. However, subsequent scheduling of workshops for CT CPA’s was difficult. As a result, I put together 4 online courses as a substitute to a live workshop.

LET YOUR PEERS DO THE TALKING

Online courses have an earned reputation as being rather boring, slow and sometimes downright monotonous. Most of us would rather have a live workshop during the workweek, with lots of interaction among the other attendees and the instructor. However, getting to the workshop location, and breaking away from the office, aren’t always possible – for you or for me. So, how do you evaluate which online CPE course to take? The easiest way is to check out what your peers have said about the courses.

EVALUATION OF MY ONLINE COURSES HAVE A SCORE OF 100%

At the end of each online course qualifying for CPE I ask the student if the “stated objectives of the course” were met. There has never been a “No” yet…. that’s 100% of the time every student has said that the stated objectives were met. Several students also had other good things to say.

A SAMPLE OF ADDITIONAL COMMENTS MADE BY STUDENTS

1. Film Accounting and Auditing – An Overview

“Yes. Great introduction of the role the production accountant will play within the overall film production life-cycle.”

“Yes – it was pretty much an overview. I feel I have a much better understanding of film accounting now.”

“Yes! Very easy to follow. An excellent intro to the industry.”

2. Film Accounting and Auditing – The Basics

“Yes, great to see the various sample forms. The workflow charts are also very helpful.”

“Yes, the detailed explanations of the various forms, as well as the general ledger software, were very helpful.”

“Yes, very useful. I now have a sound understanding of the basic principles of production accounting.”

3. Film Accounting and Auditing – Intermediate

“Yes. Great explanation of the inter-relationships between the various reports and overview of the audit plan.”

“Yes. Enjoyed the course and learned a great deal about auditing productions.”

An Overview – The Learning Objective Met By 100% of the Students: The participant will understand the overall business cycle of the Film Industry with specific attention on the workflow, general terminology and film industry specific accounting practices of Film and Television Production. No advanced preparation is required. See this short video reviewing the content of this course.

The Basics Course – The Learning Objective Met By 100% of the Students: The participant will be familiarized with the film production processes, forms and control points of a usual film production. With this knowledge the participant will be “up to speed” with the books and records of a usual film or television production. No advanced preparation is required. See this short video reviewing the content of this course.

The Intermediate Course – The Learning Objective Met by 100% of the Students: (Prerequisite: An Overview) The participant will understand the interaction among the production entity, the approved budget, the production documents (Call Sheets, Daily Production Reports, etc) and the Final Cost Report – prepared by the film production accountant, this is the document audited for film tax credit certification. From this understanding an external auditor will be able to plan the tax credit audit with an understanding of all industry specific factors. No advanced preparation is required. See this short video reviewing the content of this course.

The Advanced Course – The Learning Objective Met By 100% of the Students: (Prerequisites: An Overview and Intermediate)The participant will have an understanding of various State requirements to certify the production for Tax Credit purposes. From this understanding participants can confidently comply with their own particular locale’s certification requirements. The categories closely examined are Qualified Expenses (Payroll, Non-Payroll, Real Property) as well as Related Party Transactions, Ownership and Sources of Funds. No advance preparation is required. See this short video reviewing the content of this course.

An accountant is seldom used to help the Producer pitch for financing. Most emerging Producers aren’t educated in pitching to financiers who are well schooled in standard business practices – and, even if the pitching Producer has some idea that help is needed in preparing financial projections, the cost of the accountant’s services may seem prohibitive.

ACCOUNTANTS GENERALLY LACK EXPERIENCE

Even if the pitching Producer does go to his/her local CPA, it may very likely be a disappointment. Most accountants ARE weak in this unique area of film finance. Ask any CPA about investing in film production and they’ll tell you straight up – too risky! But … ask that same accountant about investing in a rental property in Bohunk, say a small medical center, and the accountant will jump in with both feet. Why? Simply because the accountant has experience in similar projects and there is an infrastructure in place to find and analyze data of a similar nature.

FINANCING FILM PROJECTS IS PIONEERING WORK

The film industry has been a closed industry. The current blast of YouTube, Netflix, etc has opened the door to the industry, but it certainly isn’t a “taped path” to success. However, there are a few steps that are proven true in current film financing projects. These steps are only a crossover from standard business accounting to film accounting. The standards are still in the pioneer stages, so be prepared for some hard won work.

FINANCING = GENERATING CONFIDENCE WITH GOOD BUSINESS STANDARDS

The weakest factor for emerging producers to overcome is to have the ability to generate a financier’s confidence – that is, to have those with disposable income (financiers of any kind) feel confident that the film project being pitched will generate a return. That financier has several investment avenues available. Indeed there are teams of professional investors knocking on their door, all with clear documentation and proven track records. Your best hope of generating that confidence is to present your facts according a business standard that the financier is familiar with.

CROSSING OVER TO FILM ACCOUNTING

Enter the accountant, or professional producer, who has crossed over to film accounting. The film accountant is familiar with five particular ways of generating confidence – all of which should be referenced in any Executive Summary and Business Plan:

FILM BUDGET: A professional film budget with both a summary page and supporting detailed accounts. If this document is unfamiliar to you please click here for more information. (Note: Within the appendix of the business plan include a copy of a standard “Cost Report” so the investor can see the industry standard of reporting the costs and how they are controlled.)

STATE TAX CREDIT ESTIMATE: A clear schedule estimating the State Film Tax Incentive available based on the budget. If this topic is unfamiliar to you please click here for more information.

FILE FORM D WITH THE SEC (CROWD FUNDING): Show the investor that you are only looking for “Accredited Investors” by filing a “Form D” with the SEC. This is a relatively simple form which separates you from the novice who is looking for a freebie. Please read my blog on this topic to get a better understanding of what it takes to legally solicit funds broadly.

CASHFLOW REQUIREMENTS: A weekly cashflow requirement schedule both in summary and in detail by account (based on the budget). Click here for more information.

FINANCING CASHFLOW SCHEDULE: By preparing this schedule the investor can see that you are transparent and alert to the costs of borrowing from film friendly institutions. Click here for more information.

Including these documents in your business plan, clearly referenced in your executive summary, will raise your credibility meter significantly with any financier.

For those of you interested in getting into film accounting in a more detailed way, should visit my web site for upcoming Film Accounting 101 2 Day workshops – two coming up, one on the West Coast and one on the East Coast. See http://www.filmaccounting.com

Cheers / John

30 year veteran of over 50 film and television productions in 6 different countries.

The film and television approved budget reflects what the financiers have given you permission to spend in order to create a product of a specific quality. Throughout the production process the Producer is managing that budget, and the Film Accountant is swiftly comparing the actual costs with that budget on a line-by-line basis. Both of these professionals must be thoroughly familiar with each others duties and responsibilities.

THE PRODUCER MUST MANAGE QUALITY WITH THE $ IN MIND

Above the Line

The best way to really know how to manage a film or television budget is to know how to create one from scratch. But … that is a time-consuming task and really isn’t a requirement to being a good Producer, nor a good Film Accountant for that matter. What’s vital to exist as a Producer? It’s being so familiar with the budget that one can manage any type of cost, within any number of layers, in any film or television budget that you are given. This is not as easy as it looks in a chaotic film shooting environment.

THE FILM ACCOUNTANT MUST BE SURE WHEN MEASURING

By sure I mean certain and stable, especially when measuring the costs against the approved budget – all in relatively unstable conditions. Again the film accountant may never have created a budget from scratch; however, the accountant better be darn sure of where every type of cost is located and in what layer of each budget under his/her control.

CROSSING OVER TO FILM BUDGETING

So the first step is to know the overall format of every film and television budget anywhere that I have worked or seen budgets – USA, Canada, Europe, South Africa and Australia. We use a professional budget in my workshops which you will have a pretty darn good grasp of by the end of any workshop. At the risk of telling you something that you may already know

Budget Topsheet

the breakdown of sections of all film/TV budgets are:

Above the Line

Below the Line Production (also called Shooting Period)

Below the Line Post Production

Other (Insurance, Legal, Interest costs, etc)

CHART OF ACCOUNTS

For you non-accountants the chart of accounts is a listing of all account numbers and account descriptions. I bring it up only because all of the Major Studios and Independent Producers have developed different Charts of Accounts. It’s a bummer, because as soon as you’re very familiar with the account numbers in one budget, another budget will use an entirely different Chart of Accounts.

PRACTICE

The best way to learn thoroughly learn about film budgets and cost controls is to practice in a controlled environment. See my web site for workshops, live webinars and online self-study. Go to http://www.talkfilm.biz